Water quality issues are complex and dynamic in nature and need urgent attention and action. Improving efficiency of water use requires regulatory frameworks that better reflect how different water uses require different water qualities, such as water from industrial processes being reused in agriculture. Drafting regulatory instruments to better manage water qualities that are ‘fit for purpose’ can benefit from the wide range of standards and guidelines currently available.

The Compendium of Water Quality Regulatory Frameworks is an overview and analysis of a variety of selected water quality guidelines, standards and regulatory frameworks for different uses and geographical regions. The overall objective is to contribute towards improving access to information on water quality requirements for different uses, promoting efficient use and, ultimately, reducing water use conflicts. The Compendium offers an integrated and descriptive analysis of each selected law and policy, while also considering complementary instruments, management approaches and lessons learned on implementation.

This Executive Summary of the main Compendium give an overview of key findings.